Date: Sat, 5 Oct 1996 10:13:33 +0800
From: kjkhoo-AT-pop.jaring.my (KHOO Khay Jin)
Subject: Re: Long live M2! -PLEASE READ



 * I'm sure we'll never get a significant number of people to agree who is
 or is
 * not "orthodox"!

All this talk of "orthodoxy" - one would think one was in a church! Go on
in this way and you'll have the situation in France, a Catholic country
where 10% _say_ they go to church (and who knows what the true number may
be). But perhaps this explains why marxism is in the sorry state it is in
today.

Why not take a leaf out of Marx - "fearless criticism" which he glossed as
criticism that does not fear its own consequences. And that would include
marxism as well. Fact is, if Marx were alive today, he would long have
abandoned what passes for marxism today. While he may have spent much time
in the British Museum, the reason why so much remained unfinished was the
unending attempt to take account of changes in the real world as a check on
theory.

For a list coming out of the US where the past two decades has seen the
triumph of neo-conservative thought and action (the various foundations
they have created and the influence they exercise on public opinion and
policy), and the declining influence of left thought and action, it's
remarkable how little discussion of that there has been. To the extent that
public opinion polls have validity, for someone from outside the USA, it is
distressing to note that 80% were in favour of the recent bombing of Iraq.
Equally, the absence of discussion on recent developments in world
capitalism - one gets more in "The Economist", including discussion of
theory.

So maybe a list: marxism-reality?


KJin




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